Smoking pipe

ABSTRACT

A smoking pipe having a foraminous bowl insert which serves as a grate for the burning tobacco, the insert coacting with the inner wall of the bowl cavity to provide a surrounding air chamber having a communication with a smoking stem passage, and an auxiliary passage between the air chamber and the bowl exterior adapted for finger control by the smoker so as to be closable during conventional smoking, and opened for short inactive smoking periods to provide combustion air to the air chamber to maintain combustion and continued burning of the tobacco.

Wnited States atent [191 Hendricks 51 Feb. 12, 11974 smotonc 1P1P1E [76]lnventor: Victor 1. Hendricks, 1776 Wright St., Pomona, Calif. 91766[22] Filed: Aug. 14, 11972 [21] Appl. No.: 280,505

[58] Fiefld of Search ..131/3,174,175,195,196, 131/183, 220,198 R, 198 A[56] References (Iited UNITED STATES PATENTS 610,839 9/1898 Wright131/196 647,740 4/1900 Beatty..... 131/196 2,091,440 8/1937 Gilliam131/3 2,313,344 3/1943 Jacob 131/220 X 3,605,758 9/1971 Patterson...131/183 X 1,486,031 3/1924 Phillips 131/183 1,118,276 11/1914Fredericks.... 131/183 782,219 2/1905 Coleman.... 131/3 764,125 7/1904Heald 131/196 UX 1,552,548 9/1925 Donivan et a1. 131/175 PrimaryExaminer-Joseph S. Reich Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Whann & McManigal [57]ABSTRACT A smoking pipe having a foraminous bowl insert which serves asa grate for the burning tobacco, the insert coacting with the innerwalll of the bowl cavity to provide a surrounding air chamber having acommunication with a smoking stem passage, and an auxiliary passagebetween the air chamber and the bowl exterior adapted for finger controlby the smoker so as to be closable during conventional smoking, andopened for short inactive smoking periods to provide combustion air tothe air chamber to maintain com bustion and continued burning of thetobacco.

4 Cllaims, 3 Drawing Figures 1 n1 w 330 m 2 /8 20 SMOKENG PIPE PRIOR ARTcams are the following patents:

578.881 Mar. 16. 1897 695.185 Mar. 11. 1902 883.954 Apr. 7. 19031.313.280 Aug. 19.1919 1.967.367 July 24. 1934 3.303.849 Feb. 14. I9673.336.929 Aug. 22. 1967 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The presentinvention relates generally to smoking pipes.

Heretofore. in conventional smoking pipes it has been a problem to keepthe tobacco burning during inactive smoking periods, as when the smokertemporarily sets the pipe down. The burning tobacco quickly goes outbecause of a lack of combustion supporting air. As a consequence, thesmoker is subjected to the nuisance of having to continuously relightthe tobacco.

It has previously been known from U. S. Pat. No. 695.185 to use an innerbowl with a large number of perforations to increase and distribute theburning area of the tobacco in order to induce a more completecombustion of the tobacco, and while the inner bowl is surrounded by achamber, this chamber is used primarily as a mixing and cooling chamberfor the smoke rather than for the purpose of supplying combustionsupporting air as in applicant's invention.

In US. Pat. No. 1.967.367, the problem has been appreciated of supplyingcombustion supporting air to the burning tobacco in the pipe bowl tokeep the tobacco burning during periods when the smoker is not activelypuffing on the pipe in the usual manner. The use of the controllablespaced openings around the bowl as disclosed in this patent has theinherent disadvantage that the combustion supporting air is restrictedto limited intake areas in the bowl. In applicants invention, thisproblem is solved by the use of an air chamber around the tobaccosupporting inner bowl or grate.

A later U. S. Pat. No. 3,336,929 discloses a cigarette holding devicefor reverse smoking of the cigarette, and while a fingercontrolled airhole is provided in the cigarette supporting bowl, the cooperativeassociation is not the same as in the use of a grate for supporting thetobacco in a pipe bowl.

Applicant's smoking pipe concept provides a new combination whichrespectively overcomes the problems existing in the presently knownsmoking pipes. and particularly those as disclosed in the patentsdiscussed above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION buming of the tobacco during iiitervals ofnonactive smoking.

One object of the herein described invention is to provide an improvedtobacco smoking pipe with an inner bowl insert which provides a grate.the grate being surrounded by an air chamber having communication withthe pipe stem, and an auxiliary passage which may be selectivelymanually closed when puff ing on the stem for smoking in the usualmanner, or opened during idle periods to provide combustion supportingair to keep the tobacco burning so as to obviate the necessity of havingto continuously re-light the tobacco.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be brought out inthe following part of the specification, wherein detailed description isfor the purpose of fully disclosing a preferred embodiment of theinvention without placing limitations thereon.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Referring to the accompanyingdrawings, which are for illustrative purposes only:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a pipe embodying the features of myinvention, portions being shown in section to reveal the cooperativerelationship of the coacting components:

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse section through the pipebowl, taken substantially on line 2-2 of FIG. 1 an d illustrating manualcontrol of an auxiliary air supply passage; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the bowl insert or grate asutilized in the smoking pipe of my invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring more specifically tothe drawings, for illustrative purposes, the invention is: shown in FIG.1 as being applied to a smoking pipe.

As illustrated, the smoking pipe of my invention embodies a bowl 10formed with an internal cavity which is circumscribed by a side wall 11and a bottom wall 12. The bowl cavity at its uppermost end forms anopening 13 at the bowl brim 14.

A tubular sleeve insert as generally indicated at 15 is removablyreceivable within the bowl cavity and forms a grate for receiving thesmoking tobacco therein.

As clearly shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the tubular insert comprises aforaminous wall 16 which may vary as to construction, but is illustratedas being of a screen-like material. At its uppermost end, the wallconnects with an annular end flange 17 which is arranged to peripherallyproject outwardly over the bowl brim so as to provide a sealingengagement therewith, when the insert is in an operative position. Theinsert is of appropriate length so that in its position of use, a lowerend ring will make seating engagement with the bottom wall of the bowlcavity.

It will be observed that the insert wall 16 is tapered towards itslowermost end, and in accordance with a main feature of the inventionthe wall 16 coacts with the side wall 11 of the bowl cavity to provide asurrounding air chamber 19 which extends substantially the entire lengthof the insert between the end flange 17 and lower end ring 18.

Adjacent the bottom of the bowl cavity. the air chamber 19 communicateswith a connecting passage 20 leading through a conventional pipe stem 21in a conventional manner for puffing the pipe during smok- Atsubstantially a mid-way position between the top and bottom of the bowlcavity, the bowl wall is provided on diametrically opposite sides with apair of auxiliary passages 22a and 22b which connect the air chamber 19with the exterior of the pipe bowl.

By placing the passages 22a and 22b in axial alignment with the stemaxis, these auxiliary passages are manually controllable by means of asmokers thumb 23 and a finger 24, as shown in phantom lines, in a facilemanner during smoking. The purpose of the passages 22a and 22b is toprovide a supply of air to the air chamber 19 between active smokingpuffs on the pipe, and during inactive periods when, for example, thesmoker may set the pipe down fora few moments. It is a very naturalmovement to cover and uncover the passages 22a and 22b, so that insetting the pipe down, air will be supplied to the air chamber anddistributed over substantially the entire surface of the foraminous wall16 so as to provide combustion air which will keep the tobacco burningand obviate the extinguishment of the burning tobacco and necessity ofre-lighting it each time tirebipe is picked u p to continue actively thesmoking in the usual manner. It will of course be appreciated that whenpuffing on the stem during smoking, the smoker will close the passages22a and 22b, unless of course the smoker should desire to admit cool airto cool the smoke prior to its passage into the stem.

From the foregoing description and drawings, it will be clearly evidentthat the delineated object and features of the invention will beaccomplished. Various modifications may suggest themselves to thoseskilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention,and, hence, I do not wish to be restricted to the specific forms shownor uses mentioned, except to the extent indicated in the appendedclaims.

I claim: 1. As an article of manufacture, an insert for the bowl of asmoking pipe, comprising:

a. a generally open ended tubular wall of a foraminous material; b. a perifireral upper end outwardly projecting flange on said wall; and c. aperipheral lower end bowl seating ring on said wall. 2. An article ofmanufacture according to claim 1, wherein the wall is of a screen meshmaterial.

3. An article of manufacture according to claim 1, in which the wall istapered towards its lower end.

4. A smoking pipe, comprising: a. a bowl having an inner wall forming atopopening i cavityr b. a tobacco containing tubular sleeve insertextending through said, top opening into said cavity, said insert havingan upper end peripherally engaged with the bowl brim, at said topopening, a lower open end peripherally engaged with a bottom wallportion of the cavity, and a foraminous wall coacting with said cavitywall, to provide an air chamber surrounding the forarninous wall, saidair chamber being closed at its top except foricommunication through theforaminous wall; c. a smoking stern having a passage connection withsaid air chamber; and

d. at least one auxiliary manually controllable passage in said bowlconnecting said air chamber and the outside of said bowl adapted to beclosed by a finger of the smoker while applying suction to the stem, andopened when not smoking to provide a supply of combustion air to thechamber to maintain combustion and continued burning of the tobacco.

1. As an article of manufacture, an insert for the bowl of a smokingpipe, comprising: a. a generally open ended tubular wall of a foraminousmaterial; b. a peripheral upper end outwardly projecting flange on saidwall; and c. a peripheral lower end bowl seating ring on said wall. 2.An article of manufacture according to claim 1, wherein the wall is of ascreen mesh material.
 3. An article of manufacture according to claim 1,in which the wall is tapered towards its lower end.
 4. A smoking pipe,comprising: a. a bowl having an inner wall forming a top opening cavity;b. a tobacco containing tubular sleeve insert extending through said topopening into said cavity, said insert having an upper end peripherallyengaged with the bowl brim, at said top opening, a lower open endperipherally engaged with a bottom wall portion of the cavity, and aforaminous wall coacting with said cavity wall, to provide an airchamber surrounding the foraminous wall, said air chamber being closedat its top except for communication through the foraminous wall; c. asmoking stem having a passage connection with said air chamber; and d.at least one auxiliary manually controllable passage in said bowlconnecting said air chamber and the outside of said bowl adapted to beclosed by a finger of the smoker while applying suction to the stem, andopened when not smoking to provide a supply of combustion air to thechamber to maintain combustion and continued burning of the tobacco.